The Shift UN special rapporteur issues guidance note on protecting renters and mortgage payers
COVID-19 Guidance Note:
Protecting renters and mortgage payers
Leilani Farha, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing &
Global Director, The Shift
April 8, 2020
Housing has become the frontline defense against the coronavirus. Home has rarely been more of a life or death situation.
As COVID-19 response interventions take effect, millions are being forced to live with less. For a great number of households across the world, the pandemic has meant job loss, reduced work hours, unpaid sick leave, or an inability to undertake informal sector work due to lockdowns. Both renters and homeowners, many of whom live month to month, are now experiencing unprecedented levels of
anxiety and stress, and many are unable to pay their rent or mortgage and utility bills.